Flushing device for bottling machine valves



1954 M. J. GIOIMO FLUSHING DEVICE FOR BOTTLING MACHINE VALVES Filed Feb. 28, 1949 INVENTOR MARTINO J. GIOIMO ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE FLUSHING DEVICE FOR BOTTLING MACHINE VALVES Martino J. Gioimo, St. Louis, Mo..

I Application February 28, 1949, Serial N0. 78,815 Y This invention relates generally to valve flushing devices and more specifically to a device'for flushing liquid valves of bottling machines, the predominant Object of the invention being to provide an improved device for flushing liquid valves of bottling machines when a bottle has been broken during a filling operation so as to thoroughly flush therefrom glass particles which may have become lodged within a liquid valve as a result of the breaking of a bottle being filled with the aid of the liquid valve.

As is well known to persons familiar with the use and operation of bottling machines, bottles are frequently broken during bottle-filling operations, and when this happens it is quitecommon for particles of glass to become lodged within the liquid valves of the bottling machines which were involved in the bottle-breaking incidents. Obviously, when a bottle is broken, as mentioned above, it is of extreme importance that the liquid valve involved in the bottle-breaking incident be thoroughly flushed so as to dislodge therefrom all glass particles which may remain within the liquid valve, because, otherwise, glass particles may find their way from said liquid valve into bottles which are subsequently filled with the aid of said liquid valve.

Prior to this invention, it has been the rather general practice in bottling plants to flush liquid valves involved in bottle-breaking incidents with the aid of a hose from which a strong stream of water was directed into the liquid valve for the purpose of dislodging glass particles therefrom. However, this practice is quite dangerous in that the stream of water from the hose, which must be quite strong if the smal1 glass particles are to be dislodged from the liquid valves, strikes forcibly within the valve and portions of said stream of water are thrown outwardly with respect to the liquid valve with very considerable force in various directions. The danger of this practice is that these outwardly thrown portions of the flushing stream of water may carry with them particles of dislodged glass which may be deposited in adjacently located bottles on the bottling machine that may be subsequently capped and distributed to the trade without the presence of the glass particles being detected.

The main purpose of this invention is to provide a flushing device for liquid valves of bottling machines which is so constructed and arranged that there is no opportunity for portions of the flushing stream to be thrown outwardly and perhaps carry glass particles to adjacently located bottles, all of the flushing water being 1 Claim. (Cl. 134166) '2 guided and conducted straight downwardlyaway from the liquid valve being flushed so that there is no likelihood of glass particles being thrown outwardly from the liquid valve being flushed for possible entry into a-djacently located bottles.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the improved flushing device of this invention shownin cooperative association with a portionof a'liquid valve.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2ofFig.1. 1

In the drawing, A designates generally a liquid valve of a bottling machine; The liquid valve A includes a housing B whose lower portion is shaped to provide a centering bel1 C which receives the upper portion of the neck of a, bottle to be filled, there being arranged within said valve housing B an annular rubber seat D with which the mouth of a bottle to be filled contacts to make a tight seal between-thebottle mouth and the rubber seat D. The liquid valve A includes, also, a charge tube E that serves a function which is well known to persons familiar with the construction and operation of bottling machines.

The improved flushing device of this invention comprises a tubular body portion l which is open at its opposite ends and throughout its length, the wall of said tubular body portion being provided with an annular, tapered upper portion, as is indicated at 2 in Fig. 1. The body portion l of the flushing device, at one side thereof, is provided with an extension 3 which projects inwardly from the wall of said body portion andwhich extends from the lower end of said body portion upwardly to an elevated point within the body portion I. The extension 3 has formed therein, longitudinally thereof, a passageway 4, said passageway 4 communicating at its lower end through an opening 5 with a passageway 6 formed through an extension I which projects outwardly from the lower portion of the wall of the body portion I. The outer portion of the extension I is provided with internal screwthreads which screwthreadedly receive the screwthreaded end portion of a short section of pipe 8, said short section of pipe having attached thereto a length of hose 9, or other suitable conductor, which is connected to a source of water (not shown).

In the use of the improved flushing device of the present invention, when a bottle has been broken and it is desired to make sure that no particles of glass will remain lodged within a liquid valve, the upper portion of the body portion l of the flushing device is introduced into the lower portion of the centering bell C of the liquid valve, the upper, annular, tapered portion 2 of the wall of said body portion making tight contact with a lower portion of said centering bell. A valve or faucet (not shown) is then opened to cause a strong stream of water to be delivered to the body portion of the flushing device by the hose 9 and the pipe 8, this stream of water moving upwardly through the passageway 4 and being directed forcibly into the lower portion of the liquid valve so that any glass particles lodged therein are dislodged therefrom (see solid line arrows in Fig. 1). The water so directed into the lower portion of the liquid valve drains therefrom by moving downwardly through the body portion of the flushing device (see broken line arrows in Fig. 1), and this drain water carries with it any particles of glass which have been dislodged from the liquid valve by the upwardly moving stream of water.

It is obvious, therefore, that the valve flushing stream of water is confined and controlled so that there can be no throwing outwardly of any portions of'said flushing stream of water which may carry with them particles of glass, this resulting from the tight joint made between the tapered upper portion 2 of the wall of the body portion I of the flushing device and the lower portion of the, liquid valve. Also, because the drain water is confined for straight downwardly movement through the body portion of the flushing device any glass particles carried by said drain water will be deposited at a place where such glass particles cannot possibly vfind their way into adjacently located bottles on the bottling machine. 7

It is to be noted from Fig. 1 that because the body portion I of the flushing device is open from end to end the charge tube E of the liquid valve 40 '4 A does not interfere with application of the flushing device to the lower portion of a liquid valve, the body portion of the flushing device being moved upwardly in embracing relation with respect to the charge tube to contact a lower portion of the centering bell of the liquid valve, and the charge tube extending through the body portion of the flushing device when such contact has been made.

I claim:

A device for flushing a fluid valve having a bottle lip seat, and a centering bell, of a bottling machine comprising a device for flushing said "valve'in the event a, bottle portion is broken therein, said device comprising a cylindrical body portion which is open from end to end and one end portion is of such size to be received within MARTINO J. GIOIMO.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,605,189 Hughs et a1 Nov. '2, 1926 1,821,789 Borgeson Sept. 1, 1931 1,960,235 Eisinger May 29, 1934 2,143,780 Kime Jan. 10, 1939 2,412,531 Pape Dec. 10, 1946 

